Just Like Winter
by Lady LonelyLove
Summary: Haru was at a loss. Her life had turned boring since the last time she saw her friends from the Cat Bureau. She couldn't see them anymore, and she didn't even know why. Everything was a monotonous blur…until it turned into a frozen one. Once again, our favorite heroine is thrown into a world of wonder, adventure, and sprung into a romance that should have happened a long time ago.
1. 1 Altering Thoughts

Altering Thoughts

She sighed, letting her breath slowly leave her lips as she stared out solemnly across the town through the window of her classroom. She could hear the monotonous babbling of her teacher at the front of the room, rambling on and on about something she couldn't make out, but she didn't really care anyway. Her eyes shifted to the ceiling and a certain cat figurine came to mind.

Her mouth hinted the tiniest bit of sagging just then. It had been weeks since she last saw the Baron. The place of their last farewell subsided just above her head, on the rooftop, where their goodbyes were locked with the last memory she had of him. And even though her heart seemed to ache a little more every time she was reminded of the dapper cat-man, there was always a tickle somewhere in the pit of her stomach. And the thought of their dance in the ballroom of the Cat Kingdom still made a light blush tinge stains on her cheeks. She smiled. She may not have the Baron now, but at least she had her memories of him to look back on.

The school bell rang and the students of the class stood from their seats and began filing out of the room. Haru sat for a few extra seconds looking out the window, then decided to pack her things, though a little slower than usual. She absentmindedly maneuvered around a sea of uniformed teenagers, too caught in her daydreaming to actually take care where she stepped. She switched her shoes and walked out onto the courtyard, where her usually sharp awareness didn't catch a familiar figure approaching.

"Earth to Haru. Hello, anybody in?" A startling voice teased, and Haru turned to see her amber-haired friend, Hiromi, giggling as she watched her expression. "So how's that head of yours? Still cooking up some fantasies, I presume?" She asked with a playful smile as the two began making their ways back home.

Haru smiled a fond smile and playfully punched her friend's shoulder. "You know well enough that it is. I don't know, I just can't seem to rid my mind of this daydreaming. It feels like a non-adjustable setting that I was born with."

Hiromi laughed. "While that may be true, the last few months has been very excessive with the 'dazing off during random moments' department. Like this random moment for instance...Haru!"

Haru gave her head a shake. "What?"

"You see, that's what I'm talking about. I don't know what it is, but something happened to you a few months ago that changed you in this way. I mean, before, you would only daze off during little parts of class time, or during one of Tsuge's games, but now you're doing it all the time. It's like nothing in the present matters anymore, only what's going on in that noodle of yours." Hiromi stood for a moment, the smile on her lips transformed into a serious expression, and began turning a corner that would lead to her house. "As a friend, I worry for you. You have to start thinking of the future, and quite this daydreaming thing."

Haru watched her friend disappear around the bend, and felt that she was right. What would happen to her if she kept lingering on the Baron? She thought about college, and her dream of becoming an Artist. What if thinking about the Baron kept her from becoming one? What if it kept her from growing up and getting a job? Her first house, and even her first car? Hiromi put up a good point. What if thinking about the Baron, kept her of becoming who she was supposed to be?

She stopped in mid-walk, not realizing how far she strayed from home, until the familiar scene of the crossroads came to her focus. Her head automatically turned towards the secret path that lead to the sanctuary of the Cat Bureau. After her adventure at the Cat Kingdom, she tried time and time again to find the sanctuary, but with no avail. Only two things crossed her mind that would explain her not finding the bureau again: either they erased her memory, or the path was changed in some strange magical way.

She hated it. She had a strange determination to see the Baron again, but that was only because she was kept away from him. If she had found her way back to the sanctuary in the first place, her thoughts of him mightn't have become so obsessive. But maybe that's how things were with the bureau. Whether it was to keep both parties safe or keep her away from the bureau, there didn't seem like a way out. Or in, in this case.

She despised this thought to no end. Not being able to see the Baron again killed her. Or maybe she was just being another desperate teenager lost in her fantasies. Either way, she was miserable.

She rolled her head to look at the sky. It was cloudless; blue invading every little corner of the horizon as a giant spot of yellow sat cheery and painfully bright, casting down golden rays of sunshine onto the Earth to make the day shimmer. The only thing that stood out of place: a tiny black speck, gliding leisurely through the blue.

Haru's eyes widened. There was no way a crow would be this far inland, and that only meant...

"Toto!" Hopes and hands rose right then as the suddenly-spirited Haru waved furiously at who she was sure was her old friend. This caught the bird's attention, and upon seeing the bird approach with curiosity, Haru watched as it stopped in its tracks and frantically begin flapping away with what she expected was realization. Her hand lowered, but she wasn't going to give up just then.

She cried out his name again. She dropped her bag, and before she knew it, her legs had taken up sprinting. She had never run so fast in her life. Determined not to lose the crow, she climbed onto a roof of a house, and began her journey of jumping gaps between buildings, her eyes locked onto that black bird.

Toto noticed this, and made an extra precaution by gradually flying into a large circle, tricking the oblivious Haru into thinking he was leading her to the sanctuary, therefore confusing her as he dove into an alley with her in hot pursuit. All Haru found was a dead end of red bricks and trash cans.

The brunette stood bewildered, her mouth slightly agape, her eyebrows knitted high into her forehead, and a hint of despair showing in her eyes. She heaved a great sigh and slumped against the wall.

"I give up." She lamented." I tried and tried so hard, but no matter what I did, I couldn't find the bureau...I couldn't find the Sanctuary...I couldn't find that Baron..." Haru curled her arms around her legs, and dug her face into her knees. A great big lump formed in her throat, and she was aware that her sleeves had gotten moist. She wiped furiously at her eyes. Crying was a sign of weakness. She didn't want to be weak.

"All I want is to see the Baron again, is that too much to ask? To see Toto and Muta, and go on another adventure?" She looked up to the sky, as if she was asking the heavens above. One stubborn tear rolling down her cheek, and dropped soundlessly onto the concrete under her. She closed her eyes, her mouth taking soft breaths to calm the blue fire that sparked in her core.

She didn't want to be so desperate. She didn't want to look so miserable just because she wasn't able to find a white cat, a black crow, and a dapper cat figurine, but she couldn't help it. Before she met the occupants of the bureau, her life was at a standstill. Things were holding steady: her mother on her constant quilting job, her grades at their average peak, and her friends of their everyday selves. She needed some excitement. She needed an _adventure_.

That was why she needed to see the bureau again. She held out long enough when she thought that she was able to return, but when she attempted to and failed to see them again, she realized that they meant more to her than she thought. Her journey of self-acceptance at a Kingdom ruled by cats made her realize that she could not live without the bureau.

Why did Baron lie to her?

The brunette reluctantly stood up, and brushed a skin of dirt off of her skirt, now wondering where that Toto had brought her. She walked down the shadowed alleyway, feeling vulnerable in the dark solitary space. She reached the end, where a splash of sun made her blink several times to adjust. She stepped out into the light, warmth wrapping around her body, dispelling the chilliness of the alley. Where the heck was she, anyway? It looked like an abandoned street. The cement was split and cracked in places where tuffs of grass were determined to grow. A crumbled well stood unsteady on the other side of the undrivable road, covered in thickly woven vines of a few buds of flowers, a big circle of green and grey.

Haru turned her head to the left end of the street, then to the right. It seemed to stretch forever on either sides. Exactly how far did she run when she was chasing Toto? It really did not seem all that much when it came to this scene. She had to have run pretty deep into the city to come across _this _part of it.

She stepped onto the street, careful to avoid the cracks rather than fall in and break an ankle. _Well, might as well start heading back. Nothing to do here, except perhaps wait for Toto to return to see if I was still here, and then I can follow him in secret... _Haru stopped herself short and sighed a silent breath. _What's the point? Even if I do find the sanctuary, Baron will probably just – _

She was cut short when something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned back to the well, ears aware of a soft, hollow sound coming from deep within it. That was when she saw it; a transparent, white ribbon spiraling from out of the well's dark depths. It waved around furiously, as if frantically searching for something. Then it seemed to look straight at her. The ribbon whipped out of the well, and almost hurriedly wrapped around the brunette.

Haru's body grew cold as the entity around her tightened, each shift sending waves of ice to flow through her veins. She fell to her knees, fighting against what felt like frost bite, clenching her teeth.

That was when it left, just as fast as it came.

Haru slowly sat up straight, her eyes squinting as she tried to process what just happened. She breathed through her mouth, and to her surprise, came a breath of ice.

Her brows rose high on her forehead. She was then aware that her face was framed with long, shimmering silver-white hair. She was then aware that her ordinary school clothes turned an unnatural snow-white. She was then aware that when she touched the ground, frost would be left in her finger's wake.

"What in the world…"

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><p><strong>Bonjour, Readers. Lady LL here with the edited story 'Just Like Winter'! Hurrah! I have finally started work on it! I m very excited for this. It is much better than the last time I had posted it. I am fairly positive that you will all like it. <strong>

**So don't forget to read and leave a review in your head or on the story, because I will be fine with either. Just as long as people aren't telling me that it's the worst story in the world, I am perfectly fine.**

**Au Revoir Readers!  
>-LL<strong>


	2. Sudden Affairs

Sudden Affairs

"What in the world..."

Haru said, mainly to herself, disbelief thickly lacing her voice as white brows knitted together in bewilderment. Wide eyes flickered from hair to silver hair, powder-white school clothes, and frost-conjuring fingers. Not a minute ago, she was your ordinary, disheveled brunette, and now she just looked like an oversized snowflake.

She stood from her knees, eyes still flitting around herself, hands outspread before her. She couldn't-_wouldn't_-believe what had just happened to her. How could she? How could someone process that fact that their entire being had just been morphed into that of a human snowman?

_What happened…? _Haru asked herself, almost pleadingly. But the answer she got was not one she was expecting; from within her own head she heard a soft whisper. The whisper sounded sweet and calm, and got louder and louder until it was the voice of another person inside her mind. Eyebrows heightened even further on her forehead.

_Ah, yes, you are probably wondering what just happened to you. _A gently, though chipper voice said within the pits of her mind, and Haru nodded, completely speechless. That was when pale ears picked up the tiny sound of hundreds of simultaneously marching boots residing in the depths of the well on the other side of the street, and Haru looked over to the crumbled mound of stone.

_Trust me, I would love to explain, but for now, you need to hide!_ The voice cried urgently, as if hearing the sound as well, and the once-brunette took heed, sprinting back into the alley way and taking refuge in the darkest of the shadows. Now safely out of the field of vision, she sat as silent as she could, and she and the person in her head both watched the well.

From out of the stony reservoir trampled tiny little men, each about the third of Haru's size, sporting just as tiny uniforms as white as snow itself. They marched into perfect squares that formed in front of the well, every single one of them stoic, erect and highly alert of their surroundings. The final tiny man to emerge was taller, more heavily structured, and the most malevolent man you would ever see. His eyes, which might have been a comfortable ash color, were etched with a dark, mischievous look, glowering at the other soldiers and the area around him. A great, fat nose scrunched up as it inhaled the aroma of the street. Pointed, elf-like ears twitched to the sound of whistling birds and crickets chirping amongst the green of the weathered-down well. Despite his white appearance, a dark, heavy aura shadowed his presence, making even the snowy Haru shiver at his chilling gaze.

The man strode in a circle around the other soldiers, tense, with arms folded behind his back."Well, men. It seems as though that the Winter Queen has escaped the girth of our grip, sadly, once again. And this, my _friends…_" He drew out the last word as if it were a gruesome thing." I am far from happy with."

Through the shadowed corner of her hiding spot, Haru could see a few men from within the masses, standing shakily, their legs nearly giving away from under them. From the looks of it, when that man wasn't happy, neither were the individuals around him.

How right she was she wished she wasn't.

In a fit of rage, the man let an animalistic growl escape the baring of his teeth, and with an abrupt motion with his arm, sent a single soldier to be cast upon the wall near Haru. The tiny soldier fell to the ground with a soft 'thump', and after a moment of immobilization, suddenly morphed into a small pile of snow. Haru watched in a slight horror as the pile of snow that only mere seconds ago, was the body of a tiny, white man, melted before her very eyes. She could only assume now that he was dead.

The man laughed. He laughed and he laughed; his gruff voice piercing through the peaceful air of the day.

_That monster…_Haru thought, aghast. _He has no right to take a life like that. What if he had nothing to do with it? What if he was completely innocent in this whole predicament?_

_Yes, well, that's just how things work with him. _

It took Haru a moment of pure confusion before she realized the voice that answered her was the voice of the one who she now harbored within her body. _What do you mean?_

_ This is the General of the Winter Army. He is a dark, evil being, and why the King keeps him around, only The Spirit of Winter knows. He finds that torturing and killing is all but 'good fun'. There is not a good flake within him, yet the goodness seems to cling to him despite his avoidment of it. How he remains in his white form and not transforms in that of a dark snow being, I do not know. But what I do know is that you do not want to entangle into the affairs of this man._

_ Is he the reason you hid inside me?_

A silence lapsed in Haru's mind, and the once-brunette took this as a yes. She looked at the General again, who was finished with his laughing fit, and now yelling at his men, throwing out words that Haru had never even heard before, but the way they were said suspected that it was a good thing she didn't know. The anger and rage in his voice made Haru wonder just how much he was looking for this woman, and moreover why he wanted to get her so much.

"…straight to Kingdome Come! You hear me?! Out of this world, never to be seen again!"

After a few short, heavy breaths, the General recomposed himself; pulling his coat straighter, and smoothing the grey hairs that managed to wrangle out of place during his outburst. "Now then," his voice had lowered and returned to its edgy self." The Queen mustn't have gotten far, so I want you to go searching for her. It is late evening, and that means you only have until midnight – and not a moment too soon - to find her and return her to the Kingdom. As you all know, I am not the only one who want the Queen back. No go, make haste. There is not much time left."

The white-washed soldiers all nodded their heads simultaneously. Then they did something Haru would never have guess that they would do; they all began piling onto each other, creating a tower of small men. A white glow embraced each of them, and the glow strengthened and brightened, forcing Haru to look away momentarily. When she looked back, her mouth dropped open. What once was an army of foot and a half men, now stood a single six and a half foot young man. He easily towered over her, wearing a blindingly white suite, with glimmering silver tresses amongst his head. Milky-blue eyes flickered and blink, adjusting to the new lighting and sight. In his hand he held a thin white cane, gripped firmly, yet delicately by a pair of white-gloved hands.

The man took his time to look around, turning his body to get used to the new feeling. He looked down at the General, and they both nodded at each other. They turned and left; the General back into the shadowy pits of the well, and the white man down the street to begin his search.

Haru remained in the alley until she felt it was safe to emerge. Even then she proceeded with caution, careful to make sure that the white man didn't remain as well. She looked down the street, and lifted her arms to hug her chest.

"There's something…strange with that man." She said, letting a shiver shake her body.

_It's no surprise for you to think that way. _The voice replied as Haru looked towards the well. _After all, he wasn't the Army of the Winter Kingdom in the first place._

Haru crinkled her brows and cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

_A long time ago, a strange white man came to our world. He was tall, three times the height of anyone in our Kingdom. He requested an audience with the king, and when it came to state his case, he asked for part in the army. When the king told him that he had no army, and that simply one man, even a man of his height and strength, would not be enough, the man said nothing, smiled, and just stood there with a white glow that began to embrace him. What once was an empty throne room, suddenly stood full of men in white suites of about our height. The king was left speechless and impressed. The man was granted his request, and we had our army. I had just become the queen not prior to the arrangement, and witnessed the whole thing. Nobody knows what his name is. Nobody knows what he even his. He has yet to reveal to us who he is, and what was it that made him want to become our army. Moreover what _made_ him the army?_

Haru looked back to the street, a look of wonder about her eyes. After a few moment, she opened her mouth to speak, but it seemed as if her voice refused to talk about him. She sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "I guess we should go…somewhere." She said, suddenly aware that in the face of this problem, had no way of addressing it. Things would have been a little easier if she didn't look so – white.

"So, is there a reason that I look like a walking snowflake or…"

There was a tinkle of laughter in her head, and Haru couldn't help but smile as well. _Forgive me, _the voice said, _but I did not intend for that to happen. I wish there was a way to restore you to your prior look, but that is out of my power. Whatever happened to you can only be reversed by the Winter Witch._

"The Winter Witch? Who's that?"

_Now that is a story for another day, but for now, we need to…actually, I hadn't thought about what I would do after this? Do you know what we should do?_

By this time, Haru felt that it was safe enough to begin her journey up the street, hopeful to end up back at the crossroads. "Unfortunately, I don't. But…" She thought for a moment, a subconscious smile growing on her lips. "…there might be someone who does."

_And he can help us? _The voice grew hopeful.

"I _know_ he will help us. Though, he might need some information about the situation before he can come up with the solution." There was a soft sound in Haru's head, and she could only guess that it was a sigh.

_I was hoping we didn't have to come to that. I guess I have no choice…My name is Shiro, and I am the queen of the Winter Kingdom. _

_But it didn't start that way. It was the common story of the prince and a pauper. Though in this case, the prince was the king. People told me he only loved me for my looks, which he only wanted to show me off to the kingdom of what a beautiful wife he had. I believed that, too. I was never meant to be a part of his royal court. I was just for show. _

_He told me loved me, for both my looks and my own person. I was assured by the people of his court that I would learn to love him back._

"_He is the king!" They would exclaim, as if I didn't know, "Who wouldn't come to love a king?"_

_But they didn't understand. None of them did. I had no power. I had no love. And I certainly had no place in the hearts of my people. I may have been a queen, but I was invisible. _

_And the king was a tyrant. He ruled with no heart, no compassion, and no mercy. People were being punished left and right. Should his orders be refused to carry out; imprisonment for treachery. Should his laws be broken; banished for life. Slaughter was no stranger to the kingdom, either. Conspirators were warned to stay clear of the king's wrath, and should they have been caught; hanging, the block, burning…it was all imminent. _

_I watched all of it from the shadows. I couldn't stand it. How could someone rule in such a way? How can someone be so angry, so vengeful…all the time?_

_On a particularly merciless day, when the king sent a child to a lifetime of imprisonment for stealing dried snow-apple slices from the market, I decided to go against him. I decided that I would no longer stand by and watch my people suffer under his rule. _

_I began forming my own conspiracy. I did everything I could to keep my people safe from the king. It wasn't long before the word spread, and the kingdom realized that they were not serving the king. _

_They were following me. _

_Soon enough, the king realized something was not right, and he found out of the conspiracy. He hung those who were involved with me, and threatened those who weren't. But it seemed that did not stop small pockets of conspirators to continue my work, doing everything they could to befall the tyrant…and free me. And because I was still alive, I had become a symbol of rebellion, and the king realized that the more I lived, the stronger the conspirators grew._

_I fled before the king made any action, personally knowing of what he had planned for me. My escape led me to the Winter Witch, a magical entity with the power to change one into their spiritual form. She told me that it would give me the ability to inhabit another body, to hide from the king should I come close to being caught. _

_She sent me to a portal – that well that I came out of – saying that it would lead me to a world far different from our own. She told me that it was the best place to hide for this situation. What I feel lucky for is that you were there when I came out. _

_Thank you for accepting my spirit._

Haru smiled as she climbed over a small wall, landing into a patch of overgrown grass at the base of the wall. "Well, it's not like I had a choice."

_Actually, you did. For my spirit to bond with yours, you have to accept it. If you hadn't, I would have run off to find another vessel to bond with. _

Haru slowed down, and looked down to look at her hands. "So I accepted your spirit. Huh. Didn't know that I was so accepting." Another smile came across her face, this one full of warmth. She looked up, and to her surprise, found the crossroads right on top of her.

"Well, that was fast. It seems like everything is passing by too quickly for me to notice." She blinked suddenly, as a patch of sunlight shone into her eyes, a reflection of the sun on a tea house window. She stepped to the side, and looked up to the sky.

The sun was only slightly above the horizon, the sky transformed from a light blue to a rich purple, pink and orange.

Haru lifted her arm above her eyes to shield them from the low angle of the sun. She took shade at the tea house, realizing she was tired and sat down at one of the plastic tables.

But it seemed that the chair yowled at her.

Haru stood up abruptly, turning around in the process and stumbling back, her eyes wide.

"Muta?!"

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><p><strong>Bonjour readers! Lady LL here again, with a brand new chapter. I have to say, this one took longer than I expected. And it's quite long, too., so even if you waited a little too long, this chapter will compensate with any problems you might have with me!<strong>

**Not that I expect you to have problems - this story _is _pretty great, no?**

**Anyway, new chapter, new plot line, everything revise - enjoy!**

**Au Revoir Readers!**

**-LL**


	3. Re-Beginnings

Re-Beginnings

"Muta?!"

Haru looked surprised, but inside she was pleased. Happy, even. And though she once again accidentally almost squashed her fat, white friend, it felt nice to hear him grumble. He may have been a grumpy old thing, but she'd rather have the attitude of this cat, than the silence of no cat.

Muta's ears were flattened, his squinted eyes peering up at her in pure disdain. It took him a few moments to stop glaring at her, but only to lower his head and tuck his nose into the crook of his arm. Haru stood slightly confused at his behavior, before she realized something.

He didn't recognize her.

_Someone you know? _Shiro asked from within Haru's head, a tint of curiosity in her voice.

_Yeah_, _a friend. _Haru replied as she stooped down, her face leveled with the feline. She lifted a hand to begin petting his head, and after a few moments of struggle, the mound of white let the rumble of a purr wrack his body.

"Muta? Muta. I need your help." Lifting her hand from in-between his mismatched ears, she shielded a side of her mouth, leaning in to whisper, "It's me, Haru."

The ball of white flickered his brown ear, and cracked open an eye. He lifted his head, untucking his paws from under him to stand onto the chair and glare at her, as if processing whether what she said was a lie or not.

"I knew that would get a reaction out of you." Haru said with a grin, pulling away from him and placing her hands onto her hips.

The brow muscles on Muta's face crinkled. "I don't believe you."

With that, the feline simply looked away and jumped from his chair, bounding away with all the grace that his round body could allow. Haru was taken aback for moment, frozen in place before she shook herself rid of it and stood up to follow jim.

"What do you mean 'I don't believe you'?" She asked, almost annoyingly as she reached him, staying her pace beside him.

"Haru is brunette. She doesn't like white clothes. And she certainly doesn't have white eyes." Muta simply stated, not taking his eyes off of the path before him.

"Humph…didn't know a fatso like you could remember that much." Haru said in a huff, crossing her arms as she slowed her pace a little.

Muta stopped in his tracks, his paw in mid step. His small head turned at an angle where he could see her face, a growl coming up from his throat. His mouth opened to – undoubtedly – yell at her, before he stopped that too. "There is only one person I know who would call me that."

Haru grinned at him. "Nice to see you too, Muta."

"Wait, so if you're Haru, then what the heck happened to you?" Muta asked, confusion and a hint of disbelief lacing his voice as he turned to look at her with full view.

"That I will answer soon enough. But for now…we need to see Baron."

"We?"

Haru bit her lip as Muta gave her a raised eyebrow look, craning his neck to see if there was anyone else around her. The only people even close were the ones that walked along the streets. He looked at Haru again.

"No time to explain. We just need to go somewhere safe, where a certain figure won't find us…" Haru replied to his questioning look, with a lifting of her shoulders, her silver eyes flickering around enough to convince him that she really was in trouble.

The white feline sighed a rather annoyed sigh, and began walking away. "C'mon. Let's go."

Haru smiled behind his back, minding that he was in a rather bad mood. But as they entered a pathway between some shops, the smile faded. She suddenly had a wave of déjà vu wash over her. She wasn't sure what it was at first, but as she looked back at the crossroads from the pathway, it suddenly dawned on her; she never took this path. Throughout the last few months that she searched for her way back to the Bureau, it never occurred to her to take this path. She looked back on her memory, but any shard of this very way was gone in a whirl that seemed to return to her only now.

It was almost as if it never existed.

"Hey, chicky. Are you coming or not?" Muta's voice came from the end of the path, a most annoyed look about his face as he awaited Haru's return from her stupor.

Haru shook her head, and turned back around to follow the feline through a maze across tin roofs over parking lots, and walls along houses. _That was weird_, she thought as she pulled herself onto a window pain, intent on following Muta to the roof. _Did they erase my memory? Is that why I felt that – that _thing_ back there?_

_It is strange, indeed. _Shiro agreed from inside Haru's head as the true-brunette pushed away a few discarded trash bags. _I can't seem to find any memory of this pathway, either, and _I'm _the one with straight access to your memories._

Haru sighed, pushing a few silver hairs from her face. _Maybe I got amnesia? Well, whatever happened, I'm sure Baron will be able to explain it._

She smiled as the white-clad cat figurine came to view, brightening even more when she saw that the path was ending. It was right there. It was so close….

Haru stopped in her tracks, her smile disappeared. She was only inches away from walking onto the street. It felt too good to be true. She had tried many times before, but failed every single time. Maybe she was imagining it. What would happen if she walked out right now? Would she see the Baron? Would she wake up from a dream?

_Only one way to find out…_

Haru wasn't sure whose voice it was then, but as she stepped out onto the street, she realized she wasn't sure who was controlling her body, either. She felt numb, as if someone else was receiving her feelings – both emotional and physical – rather than her.

_What are you doing? _She asked Shiro, as an unknown force brought her to, under, and away from the arch.

_Helping you. Helping us. _Shiro's voice replied as they circled the arch.

Haru's face stayed a stony expression, unsure what to do with herself when she realized that she was now standing right in front of the Bureau, the feeling in her body slowly returning.

Muta was sitting on the bench in front of the window, a large newspaper unfolded in his paws. Haru glanced into the window, chewing on her lip as there was a flash of crème from inside. She looked up. It was time.

The sun was setting, streaks of orange and red stretching across the sky as it slowly disappeared behind the horizon. Strips of fiery sunlight shone through cracks between houses, reflecting upon the windows that circled Haru and Muta. The place came aglow the few seconds before the lights focused on the doors of the Bureau house. As the light built up to an unbearably bright, Haru brought an arm up to shield her eyes. When she regained view, the slight slowly dissipated, the sun now fully gone behind the horizon. It was dark, but mere moments passed by before streetlights half Haru's size flickered on, as did the lights within the houses around her. The Bureau house was the last to light up.

Haru stood almost frozen, still unsure what to do with herself. The doors swung open. A shadow was cast upon the cobblestone. A small figure walked out.

"Good evening, welcome to the Bureau." Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen greeted as he lifted his top hat off his head, placing it to his chest. From the glow of the setted sun, his tawny fur gleamed as if it were maid of porcelain. A small breeze came around, picking up the tails from his coat, and flapping them against him. A few leaves found themselves wafting with the wind, surrounding his form. And those eyes; a dull green they seemed in ordinary daylight, shining like emeralds as they seemed to harbor shards of glass that caught the glow as well.

Haru gave a look of awe. _I forgot how cool he was._

"The Cat Bureau is a place for refuge of creations, a safe haven for those who have nowhere to go. We help people whom have fallen into a problem that cannot be solved by themselves. If my friend, Muta here, brought you himself, I should assume your problem is a big one."

Haru smiled an almost sad smile. He was talking to her as if she was stranger. It was understandable, though. Who would recognize someone transformed into a walking snowman? Still, she was hoping that he would recognize her upon eye contact, even if hers were now silver.

"Yeah. My problem is a big one. Nothing _you _can't solve, though, I'm sure." Haru said, lifting her arms into a loose hug of her chest and tilting her head slightly.

Baron gave her a lifted-brow look. "Forgive me, but have we met before? I am sure that I have heard your voice, somewhere, before."

The silver-haired woman smiled, feeling a little better by the fact that he was at least recognizing her voice, even if he wasn't sure whose it was. "Considering who I am…'met' is the lesser."

Baron was confused. Did he know this woman? There was something about here that was familiar, yes, but he was certain that he had never meet someone who looked like she did. It's not often that you find a person with white hair, white eyes and white clothes, so if he _had _met her, then it would have been hard to forget. But that voice…he was _sure _that he knew it.

"Baron…it's me. It's Haru."

Baron did nothing. He wasn't surprised, he wasn't calm; he was confused. He stood quietly, almost dumfounded, his brows furrowing further as he thought about it. He looked up at her, his mouth open as if to say something, but nothing came out. He turned to look at Muta for answers, but all the feline did was send a shrug his way. He, himself, wasn't sure what to think about it.

The figurine looked back at Haru again, and she smiled at him, sad as it was.

_So I am to guess that this is our "problem solver?" _Came Shiro, breaking Haru's train of thought, if there even was one.

_That you are correct, Shiro, _The true-brunette replied, giving a sigh within her mind. _Things might get complicated from here._

_Oh, I can feel that, indeed. From the beating of your heart, there is _definitely _something very complicated between the both of you._

Baron took a step forward, and Haru knelt down. He put a gloved hand onto her cheek, squinting hard into her eyes, trying his best to see the resemblance between her now and former self. A smile finally found its way onto his face.

"Haru…" He whispered, his arms finding their way around her neck.

"I missed you, Baron." Haru said in return, doing her best to hug him, a little wary by the fact that her eyes had begun the slightest of pinpricking.

It seemed like forever as they held each other, awkwardly due to the difference in their size. As they pulled away, Baron's smile had been replaces with a concerned look.

"Hang on, if that really is you, Haru, then…what happened?"

Haru smiled.

"I have a story to tell."

* * *

><p><strong>Third chapter? I say yes.<strong>

**Voila readers, I give you the third chapter of my newly revised Just Like Winter. I am pretty proud with how it turned out, actually. This chapter, especially. I feel like I caught the dramatic/emotional effect of Haru and Baron seeing each other again. Though, I think I may have put them too close, again. Last time I posted this story, they fell for each other too quickly. While I will try to make the romance gradual, I can't make any promises. Being the big romantic that I am, I never actually grasp the concept of putting it down on paper.**

**You guys will still love it, right? Heh...guys?**

**Well, anyway. Third chapter, the beginning of the love/romance thing. **

**Enjoy!  
>Au Revoir Readers,<br>-LL**


	4. Winter Times Two

Winter Times Two

Baron leaned back into his chair, a steaming cup of his personal blend of tea in hand. His expression was of that in deep thought as he pondered the tale that Haru just told him.

Haru, herself, sat beside him, resting on the figurine's large, brown chest as it was the only seat for her, considering her size. She had her legs tucked under her, arms in lap, head slightly rolling to the side as she stared solemnly out the window.

Baron let something short of a hum leave him, "I must say Haru, you seem to be quite the attraction for trouble." His lips had turned upwards, his eyes squinting slightly as if he found it amusing.

"Yeah, you really are." Muta agreed, shifting from his place on the magenta sofa. "First there was that Cat King who wanted you to marry his son, and now there is the Winter Queen who's using you to hide from her own army. You're like a magnet for commotion. And royalty, considering your problems come from Kings and Queens."

Haru let an almost-sheepish smile pull at her mouth. "Well it's hardly my fault. How am I supposed to predict that a spiritual form would take on my body for inhabitance? All I wanted was to see you guys again, to see the bureau again, "She lifted her hands to gesture around her, looking upwards as she did so. "But _without_ the aid of another problem. It's not like I wanted to fall into this situation, but it's not like I had a choice, either."

"Well if you wanted to get here that badly, then be glad that you are." Muta came from the couch, his voice almost hinting annoyance. He shifted again, his meaty arms moving to the top of the couch as he sprawled his body over most of the seats.

Haru sighed a deep sigh. She leaned back, rolling back her head until she hit the wall. "Only because I got myself into this mess…" She mumbled.

She felt a small pressure on her thumb, and looked down. Baron stood with his gloved hands on her own large ones. He wasn't smiling, but looked at her with an air of seriousness that showed he was assuring her silently. The true-brunette smiled at him, acknowledging his gesture. A moment of silence passed between them.

But the silence was broken as the little window above the pea-green loft to Haru's right burst open, and a dark figure flew in. Toto perched himself onto the wooden rails of the loft, beady, black eyes peering at the mysterious silver woman whom sat within his companion's home.

"Does no one ever tell me when we have visitors?" He asked with a humorous tone about his voice as he looked to his friends. When there stood no acknowledgement, the large bird cleared his throat awkwardly and looked to Haru. "And who might you be, miss? Is there a reason that you've sought out the bureau?"

Haru lifted a hand to move the hair that blocked Toto's view of her face. "Why don't you tell me? You're a part of it."

Moments passed as the bird said nothing, struck by the very element of surprise. In the second it took for Haru to reveal herself to him, he had lifted his wings in bewilderment, his beak opened as if to say something, but nothing seemed to come out.

But it didn't take long for the old crow to gather his wits about him again.

"Haru?" He asked almost disbelievingly, leaning in to peer into her eyes, searching for any sort resemblance to the Haru that he actually knew. "Is that – is that you?"

Haru gave him a side smile, tilting her head to look at him clearer from the angle that she was. "In the flesh. Or snow, in this case…"

Toto's expression didn't change, as he didn't get her attempt at a joke. And since he was left out of Haru's previous storytelling, she went about retelling her tale, though summarizing it as best she could. She made sure to emphasize the part of his leading her astray.

"…and that's when I almost sat on Muta – again – and was led here."

The room was silent as the members of the bureau began pondering her situation once again. Haru sat, patiently awaiting what they had in for her.

_Quite an interesting bunch you are, _Shiro suddenly said from inside Haru's mind, and the young woman smiled.

"Yeah, we are."

_Alright, so the one in the suit is Baron…_

"A-hah."

_And the fat one is Muta…_

"M-hm."

_And the bird is Toto._

"You got them."

_Now tell me, again; what exactly does the cat bureau do? You told me that we were going to meet a person. Not a talking cat, a talking bird, and a – living figurine? What _is_ this place?_

"Well, this is supposed to be a…a safe haven, of a sort, for creations that have been given souls with the making of their person. They made a bureau out of it when they started poking their noses into other people's businesses, and –"

"Haru, are you alright?"

Haru, who had gone off in a rambling about the bureau, snapped from her state to look down at her friend, most of which began looking at her as if she were insane. Muta and Toto had their raised-eyebrow expressions, while Baron watched her with a curious look about his face.

Haru let a face-palm look come across her own face. "I forgot to tell them about you, didn't I?"

_Apparently, you did. _Came Shiro, her voice hinting amusement as she watched the members of the bureau through her host's eyes.

"Haru, who are you talking to?" Baron asked, the hand on his chin lowering as the curiosity of Haru's behavior grew.

Haru bit her lip, feeling unsure at whether she wanted to tell them about Shiro or not. "Well, you see…when the spirit entered me at the well… we sort of created – a bond. And with this bond, we made a connection – with our minds, I would guess – that enabled us to…talk to one another?" She slowly lifted her shoulders, explaining her situation to them as if she didn't know herself. But that was just it, she _didn't_ know how to explain it. Not until this distinct moment did she realize that she never questioned the bond between her and Shiro. She was surprised at first, yes, but it never occurred to her as to why this happened. Now that she actually thought about it: why _were _they able to talk to one another?

"So, the spirit, she's in your head? Right now?" Toto asked, flapping down to the floor next to Baron.

"In a way, yes." The true-brunette replied, still trying her best to understand. She sighed, accepting it then that it was a waste trying to. She looked at her three friends, all of whom of which watched her cautiously. "Why, is that a bad thing?"

"On the contrary. I believe that it would prove to be very useful." Baron replied as he shifted her position to face his two companions.

While Haru watched her friend with a most curious face, feeling slightly suspicious at his behavior, the figurine took it upon himself to help her down to the floor. The silver-eyed girl climbed down to her knees, still eyeing her suspicious friend.

"Have something on mind, Baron?" Toto queried, the zenith of his interest too strong to overcome.

Baron turned to look at him. "If Haru and the spirit are connected in a way that they can speak to each other within thoughts, perhaps she can speak to us directly. For a being to be able to take on their spiritual form, as well as find inhabitance in another one's body, she must have a type of magic." He turned back to Haru. "If you can let her use this magic to take control of your body, then we will be able to talk to her."

"And why would we have to do that?"

"So that she can tell us exactly why she is being chased. More information will prove to be a great amount of help in solving this case."

Haru chewed at her lip, almost mesmerized by the sincerity and slight excitement of Baron's emerald eyes, unsure of this newly-made plan. "I don't know Baron….I don't think I could do it… Perhaps I can just ask her?"

"We need her to give us the full story as it is." Toto cut in, hopping a step closer to her."If you've ever played a game of telephone as a child, you know how easy it is to the change details of a story when told by another person."

"And in this situation, even the smallest detail could be crucial."

"But – but…." It suddenly dawned on Haru that effort wouldn't be present much, at least not for _this _plan. After all, Shiro managed to venture her from the alleyway, through the arch, and to the bureau all on her own. If she could manage all that, surely she could manage this?

Haru sighed, licking her lips as they seemed to have dried up. "Okay, I'll do it. Or, she'll do it, or whatever."

Baron's smile grew, and the silver-haired girl couldn't help but smile back. An abrut fluttering in her chest alerted her about how weak she felt just then. To her butterflies came a sudden discontent as an echo of words found their way into her head, pulsing and sending vibrating shudders down her spine. She closed her eyes, imagining the words becoming clear and crisp, and soon she heard a voice:

"_There's a gash within the emotion so many call love. If you really love a man, and he returns this love, your bond together will give you strength in all that you face. But should this love be unrequited, by either the man or the woman, that strength will melt into nothing but weakness. Be careful who you give your love to, my dear. For he may be the end of you as you know it."_

The voice disappeared, along with the fluttering in Haru's chest. She opened her eyes again, squinting slightly at the ground as she pondered deeply this sudden, strange message. From who it was, she didn't know. The voice, course and somewhat unpleasant, sounded vague, but somehow familiar. Her thoughts wandered over anybody that could have given it to her; aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. Nobody fit the vocal description, and Haru soon found herself extremely dissatisfied with what she was just given.

A strange feeling washed over her, another vague hint at what she was facing. It was almost like whoever gave her this advice, was at the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't get it. Who was it? What was it for?

_Why was it now?_

Haru suddenly look up, her eyes searching for nothing in particular, but her mind was imagining the spiritual form of Shiro. She almost forgot that Shiro had point-blank access to her mind.

_Don't you realize why it came? Just now? When you looked at Baron's smile, it made your heart race. You nearly melted! I can't be alone on this, Haru. I am not the only one spiritually bonded with you. Someone, somewhere else, is giving you advice, because they just sensed what you were feeling. They were warning you…about _him_._

Haru said nothing. She wasn't sure what to say, really. Was there really someone warning her about Baron? She looked to the suite-clad figurine, who stood facing away from her as he spoke the other members of the Bureau.

He was so erect, so – perfect. His fur gleamed under the florescent lighting of the house, seemingly hard to the touch, but Haru knew from experience that he was just as soft as any other feline. Softer, even. His crème morning suite fit like a glove, stretched out to his limbs where they ended perfectly at his wrists, which turned into actual gloves that gave away the shape of his human-like hands. Whenever he spoke, he had a voice of confidence, showing the amount of faith that he had in whatever he said. His whiskers bounced with every movement of his jaw, and an amused smile crept to Haru's face.

Noticing this Baron glanced over to her, then turned to look at her. "Are you ready, Haru?"

A moment of silence passed, and Haru gave herself a reassuring sigh.

"As ready as I'll ever be."


End file.
